Worthy
by qterthanu
Summary: An independent soul, with a broken spirit and the scars to match, Calypso Kinnear didn't come to Forks looking to fall in love. So when Jacob Black imprints on her, emotions get a little complicated. Jacob will have to find a way around Calypso's impenetrable emotional shield, and Calypso will have to dig deep to discover that she is worthy of love.
1. The Arrival

I watched the horizon as the plane drifted slowly through the clouds, hugging the window and making the world feel smaller. The sunset painted everything rose gold, a great ball of fire sitting peacefully on the Mississippi River. My thoughts were dancing on the water, along the mountains, away from Brooklyn and away from memories of home.

It was another three hours until I arrived at SeaTac, to be swept away to the middle of nowhere by estranged family I'd never met. Home had recently become a psychological war zone, and surviving there wasn't an option anymore. My Grandma, our family's matriarch and my only true protector, sent me away. I think my melancholy and dismal attitude was casting a dark cloud over the house that she couldn't afford to let darken the hearts of her family.

I tried to keep myself locked away in my room for the first part of the year. I tried to make my self-inflicted prison a little more bearable. I redecorated, I painted the walls, strung lights from the ceiling, draped plastic flowers over them. I hoped that if my space looked happy, it would inspire me to feel happy in it. I was pathetically wrong. The pastel colors and twinkly lights mocked me, I'd trapped myself in some ironic, four walled hell.

So I stayed out a lot. Drinking, smoking, fucking, generally keeping myself occupied. I made dates and plans, often with people I hated, but I hated myself, so it wasn't like the company I was keeping felt any different. I was at home at strange hours, and since I couldn't bear existing in the same house as _him_ , I always made sure I was at least inebriated enough that I would hardly remember where I was.

Grandma couldn't watch anymore. I was breaking her heart. So, she did something I never thought she'd do. She called my dad's family.

My father left my 21 year old mother in her second trimester, staying just long enough to give her hope of a family, and leaving soon enough to let her spiral in the last few months of her pregnancy. My father is Quileute Native, and the family he does have lives on the La Push Reservation in Forks, Washington. I googled Forks, Washington. It rains all the time, has hardly any people, and I doubt that the ones who live there are all that interesting. Not like the characters I would encounter every moment on the streets of NYC. There would be no life, no hustle, it seemed to be a town that always slept.

When Grandma told she'd made arrangements for me to stay with my Dad's cousin Emily in Washington, I had never felt smaller. I begged her to stay, not to send me to live with strangers across the country. I told her I'd try harder. She shushed me and wiped away my panicked tears and said, "It's not about you trying anymore, sugar. You can't live here. I think it would be best for everyone."

So that was that. Grandma felt it would be best for everyone if I left. So I did. And now I'm leaving. I'm almost gone. And I don't know if she ever, ever wants me back.

I turned my head forward, staring emptily at the back of the seat in front of me. I refused to blink until the tears in my eyes settled, promising not to fall over the edge of my lid for the world to see. I reached into my bag to grab myself a treat. I unwrapped the chocolate and placed it on my tongue, hoping the edible didn't smell too loud. It melted quickly, the strong flavor of marijuana blending beautifully with the caramel. It was my second one during the flight. I plugged my headphones into my laptop and closed my eyes.

I wasn't planning on having to think again until we landed in hell.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

With the combination of readjusting to being at sea level, a five hour long flight, and 30mg of THC working its way through my system, getting off the plane was an experience. I felt like I was floating as I dragged my suitcase down the jetway. There seemed to be some distant, thunderous drumming, sending vibrations through my core and making my bones feel hollow. I figured out that it was my heart.

I emerged into the brightly lit terminal, scanning the people standing around for some signal that somebody was there for me. It was difficult, having never met the person I was looking for. It wasn't long before I spotted a sign that said "Calypso", in feminine, loopy writing. I looked to see who was holding it and was, admittedly, startled by their appearance. Standing there was a striking woman, with dark almond eyes like mine and a kind smile on her lips and three deep, jagged scars running across her features. The wounds only marred the right side of her face, the left side offering a glimpse of what she once looked like. But her eyes were familiar and welcoming, and I found myself walking towards her.

"Hi," she said softly as I approached, still holding the sign in place. "Are you Calpyso?"

"Yeah, hey," I said. "You're Emily, right?" I realized that the scars extended across her shoulder and down to her hand. She smiled and nodded, opening her arms to hug me. My eyes widened as I realized what was happening, I'm not much of a "new person" hugger, but the woman had enclosed me in her arms and pulled me to her chest before I had time to move.

"It's so good to meet you," she said, thankfully breaking the embrace sooner rather than later. "Let me handle some of your bags for you," she offered.

"No, no, it's fine, please-" Emily was already grabbing my carry-on and slinging my duffel bag over her shoulder.

"Let's go," she said, walking forward. I tried not to sigh and followed her, groggy and wanting to be in a bed. "How was your flight?" she asked me.

"Long," I responded curtly. I was tired, and not in the mood for pleasantries. We would be living together, and I was more than sure that there would be plenty of time for that.

"Did you get a window seat?" she asked.

"Mhm."

"I bet the sunset was pretty."

"It was."

"Have you been to Forks before?"

"No."

"You used to live in Seattle a while ago, right?" Emily asked, glancing over her shoulder at me as we stepped onto the moving walkway.

"Yeah, I lived in Seattle until I was 10."

"Do you ever miss it?"

"Kind of. It's a lot different from New York, but the time that I spent there with my mom was good."

"Forks is a lot different from Seattle, and even more different from New York," Emily said as we slowed to join the line through security. "But it's a beautiful town with nice people. You can't ask for too much more, y'know?"

 _Some nightlife and more than two high schools is too much to ask?_

"Yeah, I guess."

Emily left me alone for a while after that. It wasn't that I didn't like her; to be honest, I wasn't sure how I felt about her yet. I was tired and coming down from my high and even just making my way through the pristine airport filled with people who seemed as fragile as china dolls, it was clear I was no longer in New York. I already missed it.

Getting through security was fairly painless, and we were soon standing on the pavement outside, waiting for Emily's fiancé. A worn down, dark blue Mitsubishi pulled smoothly up to the curb, and Emily stepped forward. From the unassuming vehicle emerged a giant of a man, at least 6'4", and handsome as all hell. It was all I could do to keep my jaw from dropping.

"You must be Calypso," the man said as he approached, the timber of his voice carrying effortlessly over the traffic. I nodded, practically craning my neck to look him in the face. "I'm Sam," he said, reaching out his hand to shake. I stuck my hand out and he gripped it almost cautiously. Even so, I could feel the strength in his arm and the heat of his skin and knew he could crush my fingers without a thought.

Emily and Sam packed all of my bags into the trunk, and Sam held the door for me as I slid into the car. They exchanged a few words about traffic and dinner as the car pulled onto the road and we began making our way out of the airport. The car ride was long, but I was able to nap for most of it, and I didn't fall asleep until after I told them I wanted salmon for dinner.

I awoke to the sound of crunching gravel as we coasted down a driveway. I opened my eyes and rubbed the sleep from them. The car approached a modest wooden house with its porchlight still on. I sat up straight, giving my muscles a quick stretch.

"We're here," Emily singsonged quietly as we all clicked our seatbelts open.

"You girls head inside, I'll grab the bags," Sam offered. I didn't feel like I had much of a choice, so I just slung my purse over my shoulder as I walked toward the house.

"Want me to show you your room?" Emily asked on our way to the door.

"I thought we agreed she was sleeping in the yard!" Sam shouted from the car as he unloaded bags.

"Don't mind him," Emily giggled, not even turning to acknowledge her partner. We walked to the side door and Emily began unlocking it.

"I like your flowers," I noted, commenting on the flower box bursting with marigolds beneath the window.

"Thank you!" Emily piped, pushing the door open for me. "I have a little garden out back, I just started it." She turned the light on and made her way into the kitchen. It was nicer than the outside had led me to believe. It had high ceilings held up by wooden beams, with white, neatly kept cabinets brightening the kitchen. A large window was placed against the side of the house, making the entire space feel open. There was a little round checkered table sitting in the dining area, with bright sunflowers standing in a vase in the center of the table.

"I'm assuming you didn't grow these?" I said, nodding to the sunflowers. Emily looked over her shoulder from the kitchen where she had begun gathering ingredients for dinner.

"You caught me," she laughed, turning back toward the counter. "It's a little difficult what with it being one of the rainiest cities in the country."

"Summer's coming up," I noted, slowly meandering over to Emily with my hands in the pockets of my sweats.

"Yeah, it's even supposed to be warm this year," Emily said.

"Thank God for global warming." Emily laughed and it was like sleigh bells, high and light and it made me feel twinkly inside. "Can I help you with anything?" I asked, walking over to the sink to wash my hands.

"Please, sweety, you don't have to!" she insisted, continuing to chop onions.

"Oh, so you guys get to throw my bags around without my permission, but I can't peel a few potatoes?" I grabbed a potato and the peeler, settling over the kitchen sink.

"I suppose fair is fair," she said. I heard Sam entering the house, the loud bustle of bags being moved up the stairs reverberated through the walls.

"Do you cook?" Emily asked, separating all her onion slices from each other, scattering the concentric circles all over her cutting board.

"No, I'm bad at cooking. I like to help with prep though."

"Did your grandmother cook a lot?"

"Her and my mom actually. I've been grating cheese since I was 4."

"You know, I knew your mother." I looked up suddenly from my task, intrigued by this new information.

"You did?" I asked, resuming my work.

"We practically went to highschool together. John and I, your father, went to school here on the Res. Your mom attended Forks High School down the road. But once she and John were seeing each other, they were inseparable. She was down here every day after school, we basically lived on the beach all weekend." Emily smiled fondly at the memories, and I tried to imagine my mom as an actual teenager.

"I've only ever heard stories from my grandmother," I said, grabbing a second potato.

"Oh, your mom was a real troublemaker." My eyes lit up.

"Really?" I said, perching on the counter beside her.

"Yeah!" Emily said, her face beaming now. "Oh my goodness, I remember one time, at a barbeque, we had all just watched American Pie and-"

"Is this the story about the pie bet?" Sam boomed, thundering down the stairs.

"Yes," Emily laughed, her smile broadening as if she had just been caught.

"Don't tell her that one!" Sam argued, wrapping his arms around Emily's shoulders and kissing her on the forehead. She chuckled and kissed his forearm and resumed cutting. It was a simple gesture, but I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen a couple more in love. I wasn't sure that I had. There was almost a current surrounding them, I was sitting so close I could feel it buzz, making my hairs stand on end. I found myself drawn to it, wanting to be closer, wanting to stick my hand in the invisible energy field and become an extra circuit. I imagined how restorative it would feel, I fantasized about how it cleansing it would be to let it fill me with light and instill hope to start over.

But I knew that wasn't likely. I knew what was more likely, if I did try to absorb that energy, was that my body would reject it like poison or a bad piercing. It would hurt me, and my system wouldn't know how to process anything like it. I knew that kind of love didn't belong here, with me.

So I lifted myself off the counter and moved to help finish dinner.

"You knew my mom too, Sam?"

"Everybody knew Talia!" he piped, releasing Emily as she went to grab the salmon. "She was the life of the town, always throwing surprise parties for people, babysitting, starting water balloon fights." Sam walked over to me as I was peeling. "I first met you when you were as big as my thumb," he said, sticking it out for reference.

"Maybe a little smaller," Emily chuckled, rubbing the salmon with pepper and herbs.

"We may be strangers, but we are family," Sam said with a kind smile, patting his large hand firmly on my frail shoulder.

Dinner was ready soon after, and Emily poured everybody a glass of wine. The salmon delicious, perfectly pink and retaining all of its savory juices. It was accompanied with creamy mashed potatoes and caramelized onions, and I was glad I was still living in a house with someone who knew how to cook. We played some jazz on the stereo and finished a couple of bottles of wine. They learned about some of my life in Brooklyn, and I learned about what life was like on the Res. We played a couple of card games and we all went to bed when Emily pointed out that it was 1 am, and insisted that Sam and I turn in with her.

Sam said goodnight to me at the top of the stairs with a kiss on my head and another pat on the shoulder as he turned down the hall. Emily led me to my bedroom just on the right, across from the bathroom. It was a fine room, with a small window across from the twin bed, and a desk against the wall. There was a lamp in the corner, casting a warm yellow glow over the space. My bags were piled neatly in the closet, the lacy white curtains fluttering in the open window.

"This is yours," Emily said softly, sleep creeping into her voice as she nestled in the doorway. "We can get you a bigger bed if you like, I wasn't sure if you wanted more room or more mattress."

"This is fine, this is perfect," I said, looking around at the pristine room. I took a seat on the understated floral bedspread, dotted with pastel colored daisies and a bumblebee here and there. I looked over on the pillow and had to resist the urge to laugh when I saw what was sitting there.

"A chocolate, Emily? Really?" I asked, grabbing the candy and holding it out. She looked at me and shrugged, making me shake my head and chuckle.

"I know it's silly, I was nervous, okay?" she said, taking a seat beside me on the bed.

"Why were you nervous?" I asked, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them.

"Oh, no reason," Emily said dismissively, looking in her lap as she toyed with her fingers. "I mean, the last time I saw Talia was almost twenty years ago, when she was pregnant with you. We were all so excited to meet you, she knew she was naming you Calypso by week 4. I helped her buy baby clothes, we had started organizing her baby shower. And then…" Emily glanced at me. "Everything happened and I never got to meet you and time just flies and then all of a sudden, her mother was calling me asking me to take care of Talia's 19 year old girl and…" She looked up, and I realized she had tears in her eyes.

"Life is just funny that way, you know?" I nodded, peering at her over the tops of my knees. "And so," she sniffled, "I was nervous to finally meet the person we all were so excited about. Your arrival has been long awaited. You're Talia's baby girl," she cooed, patting my foot. I felt a lump form in my throat, and pinpricks in the back of my neck at the sound of that phrase. I had never heard anybody say that before, and I wanted her to say it to me all night.

"Well." Emily cleared her throat and gave me a smile. "You'd better get to sleep, darling, you've had a long day." She stood and crossed the room as I unfolded myself from myself. I was taking off my socks as she was closing the door, before she briefly stuck her head back in. "We're really happy to have you here, Calypso." I looked at her scarred face with eyes like mine and a kindness I had rarely encountered, and I felt like I belonged. She smiled and closed the door and I felt my heart give a contented sigh. I looked around the room and decided the first thing I'd do, once I had a chance, was hang up my fairy lights.

After brushing my teeth and putting up my hair, I slipped into my pajamas and crawled in bed. The sheets smelled like lilac, and the corners were tucked just how I like them. I wiggled my feet as I unwrapped the Andes mint and placed it on my tongue. I fell asleep dreaming of chocolate.


	2. Puppy

**Jacob's Point of View**

I strolled down the gravel road toward Sam and Emily's house for breakfast. The sun was out for the first time in weeks; spring was just around the corner for Forks. The smell of fresh soil and budding flowers wafted through the air as I stepped onto the porch. I could hear my friends making a racket inside, their booming voices carrying easily through the open window.

I opened the door and was greeted by the smell of bacon. The loud sizzle of the frying pan was roaring as Emily whirred through the kitchen, whipping up a breakfast large enough to satiate all of our ravenous appetites. "Hi, Jacob!" she somehow managed to shout to me over the noise. Emily was always the first to greet a guest who came through her door, no matter what she was busy doing.

"Hey, Em," I said, raising my hand in greeting as I shut the door behind me. Slipping off my shoes, I grabbed a chair and made my way over to the tiny kitchen table.

"I just don't see the point in reporting an alien abduction if you know nobody is going to believe you," Quil stated as I pulled a chair up to sit behind him and Embry. "Without any hard evidence, you're just gonna look like a fucking loon, regardless of whether or not you really did get your ass probed."

"Is this about that Carl guy who swore he saw a spaceship land on the baseball field last night?" I asked, grabbing two biscuits from the table and smearing honey on them.

"Yeah, the dude who sits outside the mini mart all the time," Jared chipped in from the other side of the table.

"Hey, Jacob," Seth said, waving to me as he entered the kitchen from the living room.

"Hey, Seth," I responded. "What's on this morning?" Seth sometimes liked watching Cartoon Network before breakfast since they aired old cartoons for a few hours.

"Tom and Jerry," he answered, walking to the coffeemaker in the kitchen.

"Classic," I responded before scarfing down my honey smothered biscuits.

"More like tired," Paul contributed, entering behind Seth and making his way to sit at a stool by the counter.

"You're the one who decided to watch two episodes with me," Seth argued, walking back to his seat at the table beside Jared.

"Less tired than these idiots talking about Crazy Carl all morning," Paul retorted.

"I'm just surprised they ran that story," Sam said, inspecting the paper over his reading glasses himself. "You'd think they'd have more important things to print."

"Would you?" Embry asked with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?" Jared said.

"It's no secret that this town is as dead as the leeches up the street," Paul responded.

"They need something to write about, and an imaginary UFO conjured up by the town hobo is better than nothing," Quil added.

"They should just put porn in the paper," Seth said frankly.

"I'd much rather see Miss Reyes in a centerfold than read another article about why we should expect an abnormally high pollen count this summer," Embry confessed.

"Dude, she's like 40," Jared said, his nose turning up in disgust.

"No need to be ageist," I chastised lightheartedly.

"Are you kidding me? Miss Reyes could get it," Paul said, with mouth full of toast. "Anytime, anyplace."

"Boys," Emily piped from the kitchen. She walked over to the table carrying two hefty dishes, piled with food, and Sam followed behind her carrying another two. "Please stop talking about turning our local newspaper into a pornography magazine, and please don't discuss the merits of your teacher's hotness at the breakfast table, okay?" We barely heard a word she said as everybody rushed to grab a plate and start their meal.

"Just be sure to leave some for our guest," Emily said as the food practically flew off the plates and into our mouths.

"What guest?" Embry asked, his mouth full of hash browns.

"Calypso, sweety! Breakfast!" Emily hollered up the stairs.

"Emily's cousin is staying with us for a few months," Sam said, poring over the crossword puzzle at the kitchen counter.

"Your cousin?" I asked, looking to Emily.

"First cousin, once removed," she stipulated, making her way back to the kitchen. "My cousin's daughter. She's been here for a couple of days now, and she's still getting settled, so be nice."

"You didn't tell us this!" Quil said, turning to Sam, sounding almost upset.

"I most certainly did, you idiots just don't listen to me if it doesn't involve food or fighting," he responded flatly, not even bothering to look up from his puzzle.

"Why's she staying here?" Seth asked. Sam did look up from his crossword then. He looked to Emily, who had her back turned to the group.

"Her grandmother said she needed a place for Calypso to stay for a few months, and thought it would be best if she stayed here," Emily responded as she loaded the dishwasher.

"Her grandmother? Who the hell is her grandmother?" Paul asked, grabbing another handful of bacon off of one of the plates.

"Wait, who is this girl, Emily?" Embry questioned.

"She is family and she is staying here and that is the last question I want to hear about it," Emily said firmly, spinning to face us. Everyone was quiet and nodded tamely; Emily didn't always use her serious tone, but when she did, it was a miracle if you could defy her.

Just then, the sound of a door opening and closing upstairs was audible, followed by the light shuffle of new footsteps. I was seated toward the right of the room, so I didn't see her when she first started down the stairs. I could hear each step she took, each one resonating deep in my core. I noticed that my head was beginning to feel slightly fuzzy, the way it does when you stand up too quickly, and there was this strange bubbling sensation in the pit of my stomach. I didn't feel sick, just…anticipatory? Anxious? Eager? My palms were inexplicably clammy, and my heart had slowly started accelerating, thumping hard in my chest, beating harder with each step the new girl took. I swallowed, trying to soothe my suddenly dry throat, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of why I was feeling so funny.

Calypso emerged from the stairwell, dark hair falling from her bun onto her face, scowling at the bright kitchen light and scratching her thigh. My previously thunderous heart stopped. My mind, initially buzzing with confusion, was suddenly wiped clear, and was filled with a thousand duplicate images of this moment. The world was filled with a bright white light, blinding me from everything that wasn't Calypso, everything that was no longer important. Time was suspended like milk in coffee; not perfectly still, but swirling and lifting and waiting to settle.

She looked around the room, her dark eyes locking with mine for a moment.

It only took a moment.

That bright white light expanded inside of me, filling me with an overwhelming heat that I could have suffered through forever. My stomach plummeted as the ground beneath me vanished, leaving me with nothing more to stand on. It was the most fulfilling sense of loss I had ever known. I wasn't aware that my world was made of four flat walls until I watched them fall away, leaving me standing—helpless—in the hold of Calypso's gaze, my entire world now hostage to the pull of her sun. My mind was suddenly flooded with memories of her that we hadn't made yet; moments I had yet to witness. They played through my head like promises and prophecies, and I wouldn't be able to rest until each one had been fulfilled.

When my heart restarted and my brain whirred back to a dreamy state of life, every fiber of my being was pulsing to a new rhythm. I didn't know how and I wasn't sure how to explain it, but everything felt like it had shifted in the space of a moment, and no one had noticed but me.

"Oh, we have company." Her voice was rough, like a match being dragged across a strike strip and catching light. Her smoky words rolled over one another and floated in the room, the sound of her voice echoing faintly in my ears.

"Calypso, these are the boys we were telling you about," Emily said as the earthbound angel sauntered into the kitchen. I knew I was staring, but I was unable to take my eyes off her. "Boys, this is Calypso, my cousin who's staying with us for a while. Everybody say 'hi'."

"Hi," the room of boys with full mouths chorused, everyone else apparently unaffected by Calypso's entrance. It was all I could do to keep my mouth from falling entirely open, let alone successfully form a whole syllable.

"Aw, Emily, you're so sweet," Calypso said softly as Emily handed her a mug of freshly made coffee. She leaned forward and kissed Emily on the cheek. I felt a pang against my face on the same spot, aching to feel her lips on my skin.

"There's dishes and food on the table if you want to make yourself a plate," Emily said to her. Sipping from her mug, Calypso nodded and walked over to the kitchen table. The closer she got to me, I felt all of my organs begin to vibrate, each cell in my body swelling with new life. She passed by me without a glance, leaving the smell of cocoa butter and jasmine in her wake, on her way to be seated at the table. Seth made a space for her between himself and Jared as Jared grabbed himself a new chair.

"Thanks," she said passively as she was seated, immediately reaching for the blueberry pancakes. She was sitting almost directly across from me; less than an arm's reach away. My blood was zooming through my veins, it almost felt like my every nerve was buzzing. My eyes were following her intently, watching as the love of my life made herself a plate. I wanted to be beside her, to feel the heat of her delicate hand in my own, to grab her and hold her and breathe with her chest pressed against mine in our newly synchronized rhythm. Instead, I sat across the table in a blissful stupor, trying to figure out how to keep my euphoric, overwhelming feelings to myself.

"So should I learn you guys' names, or are you not here that often?" she asked, drizzling syrup over her pancakes.

"Well I'm—"

"Because if you're not, I won't," she said casually, speaking over Embry. The boys all looked at her, a little surprised by her bluntness. She responded simply by maintaining eye contact with Embry as she took her first bite of food. Everybody was quiet for a moment.

"Well, we'll let you all get acquainted," Sam said, his stool scraping across the floor as he stood up. He and Emily smoothly made their way into the living room, Emily with her own plate of breakfast and some tea. We were left with the sound of Calypso's fork tapping against the plate as she skewered some eggs.

"Did you still want to learn our names?" Seth asked, somewhat timidly.

"I don't know," she said calmly. "Should I learn your names?" It seemed to be an earnest question, the answer to which one might assume would be an obvious 'yes'. But the tone in her voice when she asked it, and the way one of her perfectly manicured eyebrows quirked ever so slightly while she was asking, it became very easy to second guess oneself.

"I'm Jared," the bravest of us piped from his seat directly beside the goddess.

"Embry."

"Quil."

"I'm Seth."

"Paul."

All of a sudden, her soulful brown eyes turned on me, and it felt like I'd been zapped right down my spine, my whole body now electrified. "What about you, puppy?" she asked me in her husky voice, pointing her fork at me before stabbing it into her hash browns again. Paul snickered at the pet name behind me, but I couldn't care less.

I already had a nickname.

"Jacob," I was able to say steadily and without stuttering, never breaking her gaze. It was somewhat of a miracle, but I wasn't going to question it. She held my stare for a moment longer before returning her attention to the rest of the group.

"So whose idea was it for the matching tattoos?" she asked, referring to the identical Quileute tribal tattoos we all had on our right shoulders.

"Sam's," Quil answered.

"Yeah, he's cheesy like that," she said in a deadpan tone of voice. We all chuckled and watched as she poured hot sauce on her eggs. "So what, do you all get paid to walk around Forks all day with your shirts off?"

"No, it's just hot," Jared responded.

"Really?" she chuckled as she cut into her sausage, a grin tugging at the corner of her full lips. The view made my heart skip, and I anxiously awaited the next moment she might smile again.

"Yeah, you should try it," Paul said from the counter. Calypso looked up at him from her plate.

"Don't tempt me," she said, her voice smooth and deep, like fine brown liquor. I felt a tiny pang of jealousy as she briefly flirted with Paul, but I was too infatuated by the way her eyes were flickering to pay it much mind.

"So are you all gym buddies or something? Spot each other on the bench press? Make sure your homie doesn't skip leg day?" Her relentless sarcasm was sharp, but I knew all of us were enjoying every one of her cutting words. I could tell that she was the kind of woman who could tear a man's heart into a thousand pieces and make him beg for more.

"We all know each other from high school, and Sam's kind of our mentor," Quil answered.

"So like a Big Brother, Big Sister thing, except you're all grown men." Once again, another one of her unexpectedly cutting quips landed flawlessly, making all of our egos wince. She was unfazed as she peered at us over her coffee mug, serenely taking a sip.

"You know," Embry said, leaning forward in his chair. Calypso slowly turned her head to look at him, her smoky eyes practically burning through him. "My mommy says when girls are mean to me, it's just because they like me." A quiet laugh murmured throughout the room, and even Calypso smiled that sexy half smile again.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'd have sex with…" her eyes went around the room once more, sizing up every man in the kitchen. My breath caught for the brief moment that they landed on me. "About 60% of you in a heartbeat," she finished.

Instantly, my head was filled with flashing images of sweaty brown limbs all tangled, hips grinding into hips, lips dragging roughly across skin, the sound of Calypso's moans ringing clearly in my ear as if I had already had a chance to memorize them. I realized that was probably the case for every one of us sitting in the kitchen.

"Interesting," Seth said. Although I had it well restrained, the beast that always lived within me snarled and snapped its teeth at the boy's comment. Sex with my imprint was absolutely not something he needed to have any interest in.

"So I guess we'll wait to see who's part of that lucky sixty," Paul piped from the counter.

"Well, you'll be waiting for a little while," Calypso said dismissively, pouring a little more syrup over the last of her breakfast.

"And why's that?" Jared asked, amused.

"Because I live upstairs, and you guys are going to be here all the time," she responded.

"That sounds like a positively perfect reason to me," Paul said smoothly, as he pulled up a chair next to her and sat in it backwards. I hadn't noticed him get up and move across the room, but my already irritated wolf was definitely not happy now.

Calypso, thankfully, hadn't even looked up from her food. "And boys are too emotional for casual relationships," she finished easily. Cries of protest immediately rose from around the table and Calypso smirked.

"Let me correct myself," she said before swallowing her food. "Boys are too emotional for casual relationships with _me_."

"Oh, and I suppose it's your effervescent charm that makes all the guys fall for you, huh?" Embry practically snickered. Everyone looked to Calypso for her response. She had finished her food and already set her fork down. Tucking a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, Calypso slowly lifted her head. Her pouty lips seductively parted to speak, and she turned her stormy eyes on a captivated Embry. We were all watching her face intently.

"You might be surprised at just how charming I can be," she purred. I could see the flash of mischief in her eye and felt my body get hot with thoughts of what kind of trouble she and I could get into.

"What are you doing for the day?" Seth asked as Calypso stood, walking her plate over to the sink. She was wearing very short athletic shorts, and thanks to the light gray fabric, it was easy to make out the shape of her ass. The bottoms of her cheeks winked at us from beneath the loose hem of the shorts with every step she took. We were all staring, but I think she might have known that too.

"Unpacking, settling in, probably taking Emily shopping later," she sighed, rinsing her dishes in the sink and walking with them to the dishwasher. She bent over to put her plates away, but the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining area blocked our view. Everyone tried to veil their disappointment as she returned to our group.

"Do you need our help unpacking?" Seth asked innocently. Calypso extended her arm to affectionately scratch Seth on the back of his neck on her way towards the door.

"No thanks, sugar. I don't have much, and I'd rather take the time to myself anyway." She reached into her sweatshirt pocket and pulled something out.

" _Oh, shit!_ " Paul exclaimed, his face lighting up. Calypso looked around, holding what looked like a cigarillo. "I was smelling that loud on _you_?" he asked excitedly.

"Second spliff of the day," she said with a smile, continuing backwards towards the door.

"Can I smoke with you?" he asked, in the most pleading, sincere tone of voice I had ever heard him take. He had stars in his eyes, and my fists were itching to knock them out of his head.

"No," she said simply, with an almost angelic smile. With that, she hip checked the screen door open and sashayed onto the porch, taking a left around the house and walking out of sight. We were all quiet.

"Woah," Embry said.

"Yeah," Quil said.

"Jacob, you're fucked," Jared sniggered, dissolving immediately into pitying laughter.

"So I did see that right?" Seth said, leaning forward eagerly.

"Shut up," I muttered, absolutely positive I didn't want to talk about it at the moment.

"See what?" Paul said, stuffing another piece of toast in his mouth.

"Sam!" Jared shouted in the direction of the living room. "You saw that right?"

"Yeah, I saw," Sam hollered back in a bored tone of voice. Everyone but Paul laughed as he meandered over to the kitchen.

"Guys, drop it, not now—" I insisted.

"What'd I miss?" Paul asked from the fridge, pulling the orange juice out.

"Jacob imprinting on Calypso, that's what," Quil chuckled. Paul's eyebrows lifted slightly and he paused for a moment as he was lifting the juice carton to his lips.

Turning his eyes to meet mine, he said, "Too bad. I'm doing her." Then he continued to drink from the carton.

I had him pinned him to the fridge with my forearm before I knew what I was doing, his thick neck threatening to be crushed beneath my weight. I could faintly make out the noise of our friends yelling at me over my shoulder, but I was breathing hard and the edges of my vision were tinged with red and my eyes were locked with Paul's. He was scrabbling at my arm, spluttering and his face beginning to turn red, but still grinning that shit eating grin of his.

"What are you gonna…do about it…loverboy?" Paul managed to croak between rattling breaths.

Through all the fuzzy background noise, Sam's alpha voice rang clear through the chaos. "Jacob! Enough," he ordered. My muscles twitched, as I was torn between listening to my pack leader's command, or following through with my physical revenge on Paul. I knew what I should do, but Paul's taunting smirk was just begging to be smashed in.

"Yeah, you big baby," he wheezed. I relished in the crack of his bones against my fist, the way the bridge of his nose gave way beneath the force of my swing. Paul gave out a sharp cry as I released him, and the sudden rush of oxygenated blood to his head combined with his new broken nose made him collapse to his knees. I smiled and took a deep breath as I turned back to the group, everyone chortling and shaking their heads.

"I feel better," I said, shaking my bruised hand out. I wiped the blood off on my jeans. "Yeah, I feel good."

"What the hell, Sam?!" Paul roared as he pulled himself up and staggered over to Sam.

"Exactly, what the hell, Paul?" he countered in his commanding baritone. "That's Jacob's imprint, she's off limits to you." He turned to look at all of the guys gathered in the kitchen. "That goes for all of you," he added somberly, patting me on the shoulder. I couldn't help but feel a slight swell of pride as he defended my outburst, and I had to resist the childish urge to stick my tongue out at Paul.

"But—"

"Paul, I said _no_ ," Sam repeated with finality. Though he was in human form, I could almost see Paul's tail go between his legs. "Now go clean yourself up, you dickhead," he said, laughter tinting his voice. Paul left the room in a huff, tilting his head back and trying to hold his fragile nose in place. Everybody began returning to their seats, finishing off the last of their breakfast. Sam draped his arm around me, the only one of our crew tall enough to easily put his arm around my shoulders.

"So how are you feeling?" Sam asked. There was a tenderness in his voice; he was obviously sympathetic to the disorientating nature of imprinting.

"I can't really say," I admitted, blinking stupidly. "I just want her. That's all I can think about right now, is how much I want her. And how she's everything I want."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," he laughed. "Just be patient is all I can say. She's not going to be easy, this one."

"Sure, but Emily took a little persuading too, didn't she? And look at you guys." Sam made a skeptical face.

"I guess, but Emily is a lot…" He struggled for the words. "I don't want to say sweeter, Calypso is very kind, but…" He thought for a moment more. "Gentler. Emily, even with her stubborn nature, is a lot gentler than Calypso. And softer I would say, yeah. And no offense, Jake, but you're kind of soft yourself." I frowned.

"What are you saying?" I asked.

"He's saying that she's a cold hearted fox who's gonna chew you up and spit you out like Bazooka bubble gum," Quil said, all the other guys sniggering with him.

"I'm saying," Sam interrupted, standing in front of me to put both hands on my shoulders. "She's a tough cookie. She's got a lot of shit. She's not going to come running to you. So just be patient." He turned and left, exiting back into the living room, and leaving me with his vague advice.

"How am I soft?" I asked quietly as I resumed my seat, thankful that Paul was in the bathroom for this conversation.

"Aw, Jeez, Jake…" Seth said, putting his hand on the back of his neck.

"How do we put this for you?" Jared asked, resting his elbows on the table and placing his interlocked fingers beneath his chin.

"Whenever a girl manages to get her claws into you,—" Embry started.

"Or rather, you go all lovestruck puppy on the poor, unsuspecting soul—" Quil interjected.

"You get real mushy and come on kind of strong and ultimately end up becoming a kept bitch," Embry finished.

"'A kept bitch'?!" I cried, lamenting the use of the term.

"That is exactly what you become!" Paul agreed loudly from behind me, reapproaching our table. "A kept. Bitch," he hissed in my ear, snickering and dodging my second punch before scampering off to sit at the counter.

"I mean, she's already calling you 'puppy'," Jared kindly pointed out. "That can't be a good sign," he said as everyone began laughing again.

"Okay, okay, I get it," I huffed, my cheeks getting hot. Just then, the screen door opened and shut to let Calypso back in. I felt my body light up as she reentered, like my skeleton had been wrapped in Christmas lights. The faint smell of pine and marijuana followed her inside, her almond shaped eyes even more heavily lidded.

"What happened to you?" she asked Paul, smiling faintly as she pointed to his face.

"Jacob punched him," Quil chirped, happy to catch her up to speed. Calypso paused by the table on her way to the stairs, raising an eyebrow and turning to look at me.

"For real?" she asked, looking right at me. My heart was ricocheting around my ribs, I was thrilled to see that she seemed so impressed.

"He said something I didn't appreciate," I told her simply. I was somehow able to maintain my cool when my response made her lips form that subtle crescent moon I loved so much.

"You better watch your mouth, little boy," she warned Paul with a wagging finger, making her way towards the steps. "Puppy can bite." She flashed me one more proud grin over her shoulder before prancing up the stairs, her adorable butt bouncing with every step. When she was gone, it took all my strength to stay seated in my chair, even though the muscles humming in my legs were telling me to follow her.

"Good fucking luck, Jacob," Jared sighed, lifting his coffee mug to his lips. "And may God have mercy on your soul."


	3. Money

I ran my hands through my freshly brushed hair as I made my way down the stairs for breakfast. The air was a little warmer today, and I'd actually woken up to sunshine. My empty stomach had been bubbling for the past hour, nagging me to feed it.

"Good morning," I muttered as I walked into the kitchen. Seated at the table was Sam, along with three of the boys I had met yesterday.

"Morning," everyone responded. I paid them little mind as I shuffled over to the stove, where Emily was making eggs.

"Good morning, baby," she greeted me while I poured myself a cup of coffee.

"Hello," I said weakly, taking a sip from my mug.

"Do you want any eggs?" she asked me, sprinkling cheese into the pan.

"Umm, I'm not sure, I kind of want grits," I admitted sheepishly, crossing my ankles as I leaned against the counter. I batted my eyes at her over my cup, hoping I could persuade her to make them for me.

"Mmm, well, I'm not making them, so—"

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, making Emily giggle. I kissed her quickly on the cheek before making my way back to the table.

"Are you planning on being productive today, or are you and Emily going shopping again?" Sam asked from his seat without looking up from his crossword puzzle.

My brow creased as I narrowed my eyes at Sam. "Um," I started, taking a seat at the table between him and the puppy named Jacob. "I'm pretty sure your girl came home last night with not one, but _two_ new Vitoria's Secret pieces. Is that correct?"

"Oh?" Jared said, looking at Sam expectantly. He gave a shy grin and nodded softly.

"Yeah, yeah," he reluctantly agreed.

"I share a wall with ya'll…that shit sounded awfully productive last night."

"Oh!" Jared hollered, now sitting up in his seat.

"You're right! You're right," Sam laughed, waving his hands. I could see Emily smiling smugly in the kitchen.

"How you gonna do me like that, Sam?" I asked him, laughing and clutching my warm mug. "You're really gonna sit up here and talk to me like this?" Everyone was chuckling now.

"Got your girl up there making you breakfast, how _dare_ you? You wilin', Sam." From beside me, Jacob let out a loud bark of laughter before clapping his hand over his mouth and continuing quietly. "What?" I asked, looking to him, slightly amused. He looked over at me, slowly bringing his hands down from his mouth. His warm brown eyes sparkled, and I felt hot pinpricks in my core.

"Sam be wilin'," he said, his bright smile broadening. I let out my own loud laugh.

"Sam! Be! Straight! Wilin'!" I shouted, clapping my hands with each word.

"Baby, what do you want for breakfast?" we heard Sam ask Emily from the kitchen, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Faaaaaaaaake!" I shouted from the table.

"What do _you_ want for breakfast?" Sam asked me over his shoulder.

"Grits," I responded easily, with a clean smile. I heard Jacob chuckle beside me.

"So. What are you doing for the day?" Embry asked me from across the table. I sighed, wiping my smile away as I dragged my hands down my face.

"Getting dressed and handing out resumes. I have to get a job," I bemoaned. "Somehow. Somewhere."

"Jobs aren't so bad!" Seth chirped from his side of the table.

"Jobs are terrible. Bosses, schedules, customers that I can't yell at. It's awful."

"Jobs mean money," Seth pointed out. I laughed to myself, hiding my smile behind my mug.

"Honey, I know how to make money."

"I'm sure you'll do great, dear!" Emily yelled to me from the kitchen. I rolled my eyes and continued drinking my coffee.

"So where are you thinking of looking?" Jacob asked from beside me.

"I don't know. The Forks Coffee Shop— _the_ Forks Coffee Shop, singular," I pointed out, irritated by the quaint nature of the town, "is looking for a barista." I almost had a headache from how small the town was. I missed the sound of traffic outside my window and seeing the streets flooded with people as far as I could see.

"That place is right by the high school, it's like 15 minutes from here," Jared said.

"Okay, cool," I responded. "Speaking of, there is virtually no form of public transportation here, right?" Everybody laughed. I nodded. "Right."

"The 15 stops a few miles down the road and will take you right into town, but it comes like 4 times a day," Seth explained.

"So in order to do anything in this God forsaken place, I have to buy a car?"

"Pretty much," Jared confirmed.

"Okay, I guess I'm buying a car today," I sighed. Sam placed my grits with butter and sausage in front of me before walking back to the kitchen.

"You have car buying money?" Emily asked with a raised brow from her perch beside the oven. I looked up and locked eyes with her across the room. I could see the furrow of restrained suspicion in her brow, her lips just slightly puckered as she narrowed her eyes at me. I returned her stare with a poised grin, so innocent that she just had to know I was hiding something; this particular face was a specialty of mine.

"I have what I need," I responded simply. The room was quiet as she and I stared each other down for a moment. Slowly, the scarred corner of Emily's mouth turned up, stretching into a smirk.

"Okay," she uttered as she eyed me over her coffee mug, just before taking a sip. I gave a small laugh before turning my attention elsewhere.

"Where do I buy a car?" I asked. I highly doubted there were any car dealerships in the area.

"You're gonna wanna ask Jacob about that one," Sam suggested. I turned to look at the boy sitting beside me. It was my first time looking him full in the face, or really addressing him I supposed, and I found him surprisingly handsome. He had a sweet face, but his gaze had a way of pinning you to your seat, and it sent a shiver through me.

"Okay. _Jacob_ ," I said, soft enough that he was almost the only one who could hear me. I said his name deliberately, carefully wrapping my lips around each syllable and making him watch my mouth as I spoke. "Talk to me." He swallowed before speaking.

"Last I heard, my friend Terry who lives near town is trying to sell his pick-up truck. I haven't gone to look at it yet, but I could tell you if it's worth getting."

I considered it for a moment. "Well I'm going into town today."

"Yes."

"Would you be interested in giving me a ride, and we could maybe check it out on the way back?" I tried not to laugh as I watched Jacob's eyes brighten at my offer, straightening up in his seat.

"Yeah!" He cleared his throat and tried to compose himself, concealing his clear excitement. "Yeah, that's fine," he finished in an even tone. He still hadn't dropped my eyes. I couldn't help but smile as I returned my attention to my breakfast. I lifted my fork, excited to dig into the hot grits, the melted butter running in delicate rivers over the sausage. I was getting ready to eat when I realized that something was missing. I was lifting my hand to reach for the hot sauce that had been sitting in the middle of the table when it came sliding in front of my bowl.

I looked up and saw Jacob sitting beside me, one arm on the table and one hand under his chin, looking at me with a poorly suppressed look of pride. I opened my mouth, ready to express my surprise at just how easily he had anticipated my need, but I shut it quickly. Judging by the smug glint in his eye, he knew how smooth he was.

"Thanks," I said, trying to subdue my grin. I ignored the strange twisting sensation in the center of my rib cage and uncapped the hot sauce.

After breakfast, I dashed upstairs to get ready for handing out job applications. I picked a pair of jeans that fit nicely, and a fitted v neck sweater. After brushing on some mascara and sculpting my brows, I put a quick curl in my hair with my straightener and called it good. I had never really been one for makeup, but for reasons somewhat out of my control, I'd ended up learning how to do it anyways. It was a skill that came in handy when it needed to. For the most part though, I tended to stick to my trusty sweats and sports bras that I could rock with a pair of nice kicks.

Once I was satisfied with my look, I grabbed my green Michael Kors bag and made my way downstairs. "You look so nice!" Emily gushed as I exited the stairs.

"Thanks, that's the goal," I said, walking over to the fridge. I pulled out a bottle of water and grabbed a granola bar for the road. After throwing them in my bag, I looked around the dining room for my ride. I saw Jacob leaning up against the opposite wall, already watching me. I lifted a finger and pointed to him. "You ready, puppy?" I asked, dropping my arm by my side.

He nodded. "Ready whenever you are," he said.

"Let's hit it."

"Bye! Good luck," Emily said from the table as Jacob and I made our way to the door.

"Thanks, yo," I said, throwing up the peace sign over my shoulder as I continued walking.

"Drive safe, Jacob," Sam advised.

"You got it, Sam," Jacob responded, opening the door for me. I slid past his huge frame, my chest close to his...abdomen.

Boy was tall.

I looked up at him as I scooted past, his heat radiating and warming the surface of my skin. "No, don't drive safe, Jacob," I said mischievously, looking into his eyes.

"Maybe. If you ask nicely," he countered easily, the mood still lighthearted though his words stirred something less innocent inside of me. He closed the door behind him and we started up the gravel drive.

"Pretty please drive like a wild man, Jacob," I said, throwing my arms open. He laughed and my heart clenched for a moment, almost missing its next beat. I was already having a great time with him, and we'd barely spoken 100 words to each other. We were laughing and making jokes; my classic Resting Bitch Face was constantly being broken by smiles.

This was unlike me. This was very, very unlike me. It was hard to understand, but I felt inexplicably at ease around Jacob. He didn't do much, and apparently he didn't have to. But the parts of me that were almost exclusively reserved for my family—my smiles, my care, my attention, my joy, my spirit—I felt myself compelled to share them with Jacob as well.

I took a deep breath, trying to refocus my head. I was getting carried away, which was typically a very hard thing for me to do. So talking myself down was fairly easy. I reminded myself that I'd known Jacob for all of 18 hours, and during that time, I had spent maybe an hour of it in his presence. I was being silly. I had regathered my composure by the time Jacob pulled my car door open for me.

"Thank you," I said calmly as I lifted myself into the truck. I heard Jacob chuckle to himself before beginning to close my door. I looked over and saw him laugh. It was an eyes-to-the-ground, shake-his-head kind of chuckle. I hated those chuckles, especially when they were about me.

Putting my hand out before he closed the door, I pushed it back open and glared at him. He looked up and met my eyes. "What?" I questioned plainly. He began to laugh again.

"It's nothing!" he said, before closing the door and walking around the front of the truck to the driver's side. We looked at each other the whole time, me frowning and him grinning. He finally arrived at his door and stepped inside, basically having to duck his head to get inside the massive truck.

"Tell me," I insisted once he was inside the car. He sighed as he put his key into his ignition and started the engine.

"You know," he said, looking out the rear view mirror and stretching his arm to place his hand on the back of my seat as we went in reverse. "I have half a mind to just keep you guessing since it's bugging you so much." He pulled his hand back and placed it on the steering wheel. The car drove forward and we pulled onto the empty road, driving back towards town.

"Well don't, I'll actually scratch your eyes out," I threatened casually. Jacob looked over at me with a raised eyebrow and an amused expression.

"I believe you," he said.

"Tell me!" I said, punching him in the shoulder.

"Woah!" he hollered, making the car swerve into the other lane momentarily. I shouted as the car jerked, swinging my body with its motion. "Put your seatbelt on," he said as we laughed, the car straightened out once again. "That's not safe." I was giggling to myself as I buckled my seatbelt, putting my feet up on the dashboard.

"Tell me, please," I said finally, looking over at him. Jacob cut his eyes over at me for a second before returning them to the road.

"You wanna know why I was laughing?" he asked. I nodded. I was watching his profile, absolutely enraptured by what I saw. I watched the way his arms flexed as he controlled the steering well, his muscles clenching and yawning under beautiful amber skin. "You're just so little, watching you climb into the truck was so adorable."

"Shut your fucking mouth," I snapped, irritated at being called "little" and "adorable" in the same sentence.

"Hey, now!" Jacob exclaimed, still smiling broadly.

"I'm not that little!" I protested, sitting up and turning to look at him.

"I hate to break it to you, but you kind of are."

"I'm 5'5"!"

"Yeah, and I'm 6'7"."

"Oooh," I exhaled, understanding now why he might view me a little smaller than I viewed myself.

"I'm literally over a foot taller than you. You're little."

"Okay. To be fair, you are a giant."

"I'll take that."

"Just make sure we get a car that fits me, okay?" Jacob laughed.

"Deal."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A bell rang above our heads as Jacob and I entered The Forks Coffee Shop. It was a modest coffee house, with old hardwood floors and plenty of natural lighting. There was an old Miles Davis track was playing softly over the speakers. It smelled like coffee and timber inside, the entire place hosting two silent guests. One was sitting at a chair in the back corner, hastily typing away at a laptop. The other was seated in the small section of the store furnished with a couple of armchairs and a sofa, playing solitaire on the coffee table.

"I'll be right there," Jacob said, pointing to a chair up against the far wall. I glanced around the small café with an unconcerned expression.

"Yeah, don't move, I wouldn't wanna lose you," I said in deadpan tone of voice as I made my way to the counter. I could hear voices in the back, two deep ones that I took to be male. Nobody seemed to be heading out, so I tapped the bell sitting on top of the glass case. I knelt down to look at all the pastries on display; spinach quiches, chocolate croissants, shortbread cookies. I saw a figure moving into the doorway that led to the back and stood up to greet them. A tall, dark, bearded man approached the counter, his soulful brown eyes colliding with mine and making my heart spin in my chest.

" _Fuck_ ," I thought inwardly, reminding myself not to let my jaw drop.

"Hi," he said, flashing me a bright white smile and wiping his hands on his apron. "How's it going?" he asked.

"Hi. Perfect," I responded with a coy smile, turning my charm up to 101. "I'm Calypso," I said confidently, reaching my hand out across the counter. He took it, and the feel of my hand in his strong, sure grip was almost enough to make me swoon.

"Hi, Calypso, I'm Brandon."

"Great to meet you, Brandon."

"You as well, beautiful." A lot of men called me beautiful, but it had never really fazed me until I'd heard Brandon use it. He could probably call me anything and I'd be into it. I took a deep breath to refocus myself. I was here to get a job, not laid.

Yet.

"So, Calypso. What can I do for you today?" he asked, cocking his head just slightly and continuing to gaze at me. He gave me a sly, subtle once over and in that moment, I powerfully wished that I was naked.

"I just moved into town a few days ago, and I desperately need income," I started.

"Few days and you're already desperate, huh?" Brandon teased.

"I don't like not having my own money."

"Hard worker, huh?"

"You could say that." He nodded. "My resumé does," I added smoothly, sliding him the document across the glass counter. He took a step closer and reached his arm out to retrieve it.

"You were a barista, huh?" he asked.

"For about two and a half years. My first and only job. I just left like six months ago."

"Why?"

"There was a lot of stuff that led to me moving from New York, and that was about when it started getting a little wild," I explained briefly. "I had to take a leave of absence, and my family and I decided it would be best if I moved here." Brandon paused his review of my resumé to peek up at me.

"You moved from New York City to Forks, Washington?" he asked, an incredulous tone in his voice. I groaned and rolled my eyes.

"Please don't get me started…" He laughed and placed the resumé down.

"Come back here and pull me a shot," he ordered, beckoning to me with his finger and lifting a section of the counter to allow me behind it. I did so, letting him lead me to the espresso machine. I walked to the sink behind the counter.

"What's the date on the beans?" I asked him as I washed my hands, referring to the date the beans were roasted. He gave me a knowing smile and I returned it, he was clearly pleased that I hadn't missed a beat. He leaned over to look at the bag of beans beneath the counter, locating the date.

"4/27," he responded simply.

"And today's the 30th?" I asked, turning on the scale and zeroing it out.

"Yes, ma'am," he purred. His voice was so sexy to me, it sounded like melted dark chocolate and its delicious weight cloaked every inch of me. He placed one hand on the counter near the scale, leaning against it as he turned his body to face me. I tried to concentrate on the task at hand, not wanting to fudge my interview shot because of the way Brandon was melting me down with his eyes.

"So what made you move to Forks?" he asked as I continued with the espresso.

"Family stuff," I answered shortly, watching fresh grounds pour into my filter. He nodded.

"I hope everything's okay," he noted kindly. I shrugged, sweeping away the excess ground coffee.

"Stuff is stuff. Everybody has stuff." After evenly tamping the beans, I locked the portafilter into the espresso machine, started the timer and began the shot. I placed the two glasses beneath the spouts, waiting patiently until the dark brown liquid began streaming out.

"How long are you planning to be here for?" Brandon asked as we waited for the glasses to fill.

"Hopefully no more than a year. I honestly hate it, and I can't wait to get out." Brandon chuckled, his broad shoulders going up and down a couple of times. "What's so funny?" I asked, clicking the machine off as my shots finished and handing one of the glasses to Brandon.

"You're just very blunt is all," he said to me with a seductive smile, looking me in my eyes. The lines in his face made him look a little weathered and mysterious and I was curious to learn about all of them.

"I'm just honest," I said, moving my body slightly closer to his and looking up into his face. We were maybe three feet from each other now, both leaning in slightly like there were magnets in our sternums.

"To blunt honesty," he said, holding out his shot glass. We held each other's gaze as our glasses clinked and we sipped our shots. Setting his cup down, Brandon licked his lips as he evaluated the taste of the coffee. His eyebrows went up and he smiled at me. "This is good," he conceded, nodding approvingly.

"You sound surprised," I noted as I dumped out the used portafilter and cleaned out the glasses.

"And you're cleaning the bar?" I nodded.

"I can't stand when people don't do it when they're done. Because guess who has to do it now before _and_ after they make a drink?"

"You're hired," Brandon said. My jaw dropped.

"Are you serious?" I gasped. He nodded with a satisfied grin, watching my face contort with joy.

"Thank you," I said with a beaming smile, blown away at how well this interview had gone.

"Can you start next Monday? Be here by 8 am?" he asked as he walked me back to the counter entrance.

"For sure," I confirmed, turning to face him just before I exited.

"Sweet," he said, lifting his hand for a high five. I reached up to comply. Just as our hands collided, he said, " _Top Gun_ it." Both of our arms continued their arc, falling at the elbow to meet again at our hips.

"Ohh!" we both hollered in celebration of our successful trick high-five. I snapped finger guns at him, biting my lower lip with a smile.

"I'll see you Monday," he reminded me as he lowered the counter back into place.

"Looking forward to it," I said, walking towards the door backwards. I turned and faced forward to see Jacob already standing there, holding the door open for me. I walked out and didn't look back at Brandon, no matter how much I may or may not have wanted to.

"Did you just flirt your way into a job?" Jacob asked me as we started down the sidewalk, his hands in his pockets. The day was overcast and gray, and cool enough that even Jacob had a t-shirt on. Though I somewhat believed that had more to do with us being in Forks and not on the reservation.

"Kind of, but I also pull one hell of a shot, so my skill helped too."

"So 50/50?"

"70/30."

"70/30, advantage flirting?" I flung my hand out and struck him in the stomach, only to feel the back of my hand get hot with a stinging pain before quickly transitioning to a dull ache. "How did your stomach hurt me?" I demanded, caressing my now tender hand.

Jacob looked at me as he lifted the hem of his shirt halfway up, exposing his abs. "I cut myself on these things all the time," he boasted, waving his hand over his midsection, like Vanna White presenting a Wheel of Fortune answer. Although I scoffed, I couldn't help but take a lingering look. He had a very attractive physique, and my eyes couldn't help but follow the curve of his defined hipbones to the waistband of his basketball shorts.

"Whatever," I laughed, shaking my head free of my impure thoughts and casually averting my eyes. His shirt dropped and my mind was free to think again. We made our way back to Jacob's truck and started down Forks Avenue.

While living here was a drag, driving through the countryside was undeniably beautiful. Mountains blanketed in green, lush forests; evergreens and tall grasses stretched out along the highway for miles. There was another breathtaking view everyplace you looked. I could understand how if you were the type of person who wanted to be secluded from everything, this is would be the place to be secluded.

After ten minutes, we pulled up in front of an unassuming blue house, with a neatly trimmed yard and two wooden steps leading up to the front door. Jacob and I exited the car, and I followed him toward the garage. There were a few cinderblocks scattered near the entrance, black oil stains spotting the driveway. Inside the shelter I could see a boy bent over at the waist, his top half inside the hood of the car he was working on.

"Hey, Terry," Jacob said as we approached him. The boy straightened up, looking over at us. He pulled a rag out of his back jeans pocket and waved at us with it before wiping his hands.

"What's up, man?" Terry greeted Jacob, the two of them sharing a fist bump before he turned to me.

"Hi. Calypso," I introduced myself simply, raising a hand in salutation.

"Terry," he said back, running a hand through his jet black hair. "You tryna look at that car today, bro?" Jacob nodded.

"Yeah, Calypso here just moved into town and needs transportation," he explained.

"Oh, yeah? Where you from?" he asked me.

"New York," I answered in a dead tone with my hands in my pockets. He let out a bark of laughter, as I knew he would. At least I wasn't the only one who found the move from New York to Forks so preposterous that it was comical.

"Yeah, we don't have too many subways out here," he joked. I was unable to laugh, but he didn't seem fazed. "Come on and take a look," he said, leading us out to the side of the garage. There was an unremarkable dark blue car parked about ten feet in front of us, one of its side doors silver instead of blue. Although I tried to keep my face composed, I felt my left eyebrow rocket up in disapproval. I had to remember I didn't have very many options, however, and this might just have to be my ride until something better came along.

"Alright, here she is," Terry said, patting on the hood of the car. "It's a '97 Camry, automatic transmission, 4-wheel drive. It was already pretty functional when I got it, but after I did a bit of work, it's running almost good as new now." I took a walk around the car, slowly surveying it with my hands behind my back. I kicked one of the tires a couple of times, as it was something I saw in movies and was the only inspection I really knew how to do. I arrived at the other side of the car, where Jacob was standing. He and I looked at each other as I leaned against the passenger side door, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

"I mean." I wasn't sure what else to say. I turned my head to look at Terry, standing directly in front of the vehicle. "Does it drive?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, drives fine." I sighed and looked at Jacob again, trying not to pout.

He stared back at me, narrowing his eyes. "What?" he asked, taking a step closer. I crossed my arms and lifted a hand to play with my ear, staring off into the woods just forty feet away. Sucking my teeth, a gave a quick glance at the car over my shoulder before returning my gaze to Jacob. Biting my index finger as I chose my words, I looked up at him from beneath my lashes to say,

"I don't like it." Jacob's eyebrows raised.

"Excuse me?" he said, stepping even closer this time. He put his hands in his pockets as he bit his lower lip. I shrugged and let my arms fall to my side.

"I don't know," I said, stepping away from the car and turning my back to Jacob. I was practically leaning against him now, my back almost touching his chest. I chewed on my thumb as my eyes ran over the car again. "I just don't really see myself in it. And I know I don't have very many options, but that's still a couple thousand that I could potentially spend on another car," I rationed aloud.

"I'm not sure how many other cars are up for sale around here," Jacob said. I nodded and continued nibbling on my thumb, trying not to be too picky, although I'd always been very picky about these types of things. I felt big, warm hands envelop my shoulders, squeezing so, so gently, more gentle than I'd never known one human could be with another. My whole body felt like it was glowing.

"You know you can always catch rides with me until we find you something suitable," Jacob suggested, the kindness in his voice making my insides get goopy and swirly. I groaned and leaned into him, letting his body heat seep into me as he gripped my shoulders.

"I just don't like being dependent on people like that," I admitted, a claustrophobic feeling of dread forming in the pit of my stomach. "I mean, I have to get to work and I'm probably going to be driving up to Port Angeles all the time just to be around city lights occasionally and—"

"Wait," Jacob said, cuing the sound of a lightbulb going off over his head. I looked up at him, practically bending back so I could see his face as he looked at Terry. "Do you still have that one we were working on a few months ago?" I looked at Terry as well, curious about what "one" Jacob was referring to. Terry made a skeptical face at Jacob, shaking his head slightly.

"Yeah, but I don't know, man…" he said, walking over and perching on the hood of the car. "I'm not sure it's ready to sell just yet."

"I know, but I think she'll really like the body. And you know me, dude, I could probably have that thing fixed up in no time." Terry lifted his eyebrows almost in agreement, and considered it for a moment. He crossed his arms, looked at me, then at Jacob, then back at me again.

"Come on," he sighed, waving us to go with him as he walked around to the other side of the house. I followed excitedly, eager to know just what they were talking about. This vehicle was covered in a plain black tarp, but the tarp was pretty clean, so I assumed it was being removed regularly to tend to the car underneath. Terry practically whipped the cover off and my heart soared at what I saw.

"She's a 1999 BMW 3-series convertible," Terry announced, introducing the car. "It's got a tan soft top cover; the removable hard cover is in the garage somewhere. Manual transmission, so you'd either have to know or learn how to drive stick. Rear wheel drive, six cylinders, heated front seats. It honestly drives okay right now, but only for a few miles. So you could probably get her home, but it's gonna be a little work after that."

I walked around the car, my hand gliding along the body the whole time. It was low to the ground and long, a sexy little forest green car to go cruising down the highway. Its top was down, revealing the tan leather interior. The door was unlocked and I slid into the driver's seat, letting out a gasp of pleasure at the way my body felt in the chair. The upholstery was creamy and soft, and smelled like new leather. Finding the lever for seat adjustment, I kicked my chair back a little, reclining into its slope. I ignored the gaping hole in the dashboard where a sound system would usually be and placed my hand around the tortoiseshell stick shift. With one hand on the steering wheel, I couldn't help but grin as I imagined myself whipping down La Push Road, driving for miles until I got to the coast, and then driving a few miles more.

"How are ya feeling?" Jacob asked, standing by the passenger side door.

"Like this must be what love at first sight feels like," I said, turning my eyes to meet Jacob's. He smiled at me.

"I can imagine," he responded. My face got hot for some reason with the way he was looking at me, and I returned my attention back to the car. I surveyed the car one last time, slowly running my hands along the dashboard and along the steering wheel, the way one might do with a new lover. I slammed my hand on the horn, making both the boys jump, and holding it down for a few seconds as the blare filled me with life.

"I want it," I said, releasing the horn. I looked over my left shoulder at Terry, standing near the driver's door.

"Really?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"How much?" I asked, still not releasing the steering wheel. His eyebrows went up once he knew I was serious.

"Well, I was gonna sell it for $7,000, but there's still a lot of work I've gotta do on it."

"How much is she gonna have to spend on parts?" Jacob asked. Terry sighed.

"Let's see…you'll probably want a stereo. Gotta change the oil, new shocks, struts, new brakes and rotors, probably a quick paint job…I'd say you're looking at about $1,500 or so in repairs?" I nodded slowly, not letting it play on my face how much that was to me. In all honesty, it wasn't that much, I had a ridiculous amount saved up. But they didn't need to know what that amount meant to me, either way.

"So let's say $4,500?"

"Not fifty five?" Terry asked, his brow furrowing.

"Well, $1,500 in repairs brings us to fifty-five. But I'm still paying someone else to fix what you haven't yet—"

"No you're not," Jacob protested from his side of the car.

"Or I would if he would let me," I finished, not breaking my negotiation stare with Terry. "That's technically another $1,000."

"Since you're not paying him though, throw in another $500 we'll say it's a clean $5,000?" I considered it for a moment. I opened the door and stepped out of the car, standing in front of Terry.

"Deal," I said, reaching out my hand. We shook on it, and the car was mine.

"Puppy, I want it purple," I said immediately, turning to look at him over the car. He just laughed affectionately at me, and I smiled in return.

"We'll see what we can do," he said, slinging his arm around my shoulder as the three of us made our way back to Jacob's truck.


End file.
